… Fiat 500L Trekking …
If you see the Fiat 500L sitting on its own, it looks like a 500 but different. So familiar, and yet so different. For a start, it’s taller, because it sits slightly higher off the road, and secondly it takes a wee bit more time to walk around it, so that means it must be longer.
It’s the ‘L’ that gives it away. This is a stretched version of the cute little 500 while the additional ‘Trekking’ moniker means it has enhanced traction, just don’t go confusing that with a proper 4×4. Although it has a switchable ‘Traction Plus’ button, all this does is make best use of the electronics when grip is at a premium.
It only operates at speeds up to 17 mph, so all it will do is allow you to get started on slippery slopes or crawl over coarse terrain at low speed. It’s not quite an electronic limited slip differential but it does help, sending drive to the front wheel which has most grip. Mud & Snow chunky tyres are fitted as standard, and if it’s really rutted underneath, the extra 145 mm of ride height provides a little more reassurance that the exhaust will still be attached when you reach the main road.
But you know what? That is all the added traction that most folks living in the UK need. We don’t get a lot of snow here, despite recent extreme winters, so the most folk will have to cope with are icy roads and grassy slopes. In those conditions the car does surprisingly well.
What isn’t any bigger is the engine. The 1.6 litre MultiJet diesel is the biggest available and pumps out a modest 105 bhp which means it won’t break any speed records, but it does return a fuel consumption figure in the high 40s.
Road manners are similar to the normal 500 but it is heavier and there is a wee bit more ‘wallow’ in the ride when surfaces deteriorate, but still perfectly comfy and acceptable.
There’s also plenty of room for four and the occasional five and a decent boot for carrying stuff while under the rear floor there is a proper space-saver tyre as opposed to the squirt and pump alternative.
At £19,590 it’s not the cheapest car in the sector but the 1.4-litre petrol option costs a slightly more modest £17,095 although it uses more fuel!
Standard equipment includes air-con, cruise control, rear parking sensors, automatic headlights and wipers and privacy glass. It also has the new-fangled City Brake Control which provides automatic braking at up to 19 mph if the driver isn’t paying attention.
The test car also had a few optional extras including a Beats Audio system (£600), dual-zone climate control (£300) and DAB digital radio (£100) which added a little more luxury.
It’s maybe not the prettiest rendition of modern automotive sculpture, but it is effective and its practicality outweighs any shortcomings in the ‘looks’ department. I really liked it.